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The U.S. President Donald Trump has once again thrown his weight behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for an end to Netanyahu’s corruption trial.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump referred to Netanyahu as a “Great Hero” and demanded the Israeli judiciary or President Isaac Herzog cancel or pardon the prime minister’s charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust — cases that date back to 2019 and have long troubled Israeli politics.
Trump bizarrely linked his call to the recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, implying that America’s aggression abroad earns Netanyahu a free pass at home.
“It was the United States that saved Israel, and now it is the United States that saves Bibi Netanyahu,” he declared, treating Israel as a client state and U.S. firepower as leverage for shielding political allies.
The comments are the latest in Trump’s pattern of aligning with authoritarian-leaning leaders and undermining legal systems — tactics he has repeatedly used to defend his own record. Describing Netanyahu’s trial as a “witch hunt,” Trump recycled rhetoric familiar from his own legal troubles, once again blurring the lines between legal accountability and political persecution.
Despite his appeals, Israeli President Herzog has made it clear that a pardon is not on the table, reaffirming Israel's commitment to an independent judiciary — something Trump has often shown disdain for, both at home and abroad.
The airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites — including targets in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — have escalated regional tensions and drawn mixed reactions from U.S. intelligence, despite Trump’s claims of their “devastating” impact. Critics warn that Trump’s attempt to parlay military intervention into political favors risks further destabilizing the Middle East while eroding norms of international diplomacy.
Trump’s overt alignment with Netanyahu, especially during his legal crisis, underscores a broader pattern in which U.S. foreign policy is wielded as a personal loyalty test, rather than grounded in democratic values or strategic integrity. (ILKHA)
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